Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017

Sponsor: ROBERT GOODLATTE (R-VA)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 TITLE I--REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT Regulatory Accountability Act (Sec. 103) This bill revises federal rulemaking procedures under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to require a federal agency to make all preliminary and final factual determinations based on evidence and to consider: (1) the legal authority under which a rule may be proposed; (2) the specific nature and significance of the problem the agency may address with a rule; (3) whether existing rules have created or contributed to the problem the agency may address with a rule and whether such rules may be amended or rescinded; (4) any reasonable alternatives for a new rule; and (5) the potential costs and benefits associated with potential alternative rules, including impacts on low-income populations. Rulemaking notice requirements are revised to require agencies to: publish in the Federal Register advance notice of proposed rulemaking involving a major or high-impact rule, a negative-impact-on-jobs-and-wages rule, or a rule that involves a novel legal or policy issue arising out of statutory mandates; consult with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before issuing a proposed rule and after the issuance of an advance notice of proposed rulemaking; provide interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making process; hold a hearing before the adoption of any high-impact rule; expand requirements for the adoption of a final rule, including requiring that the agency adopt a rule only on the basis of the best evidence and at the least cost; and grant any interested person the right to petition for the issuance, amendment, or repeal of a rule.

Government Operations and Politics Topic assigned by the Congressional Research Service.